Although Manchester United had ultimately secured the victory against Southampton, the atmosphere within the team was far from joyful, instead, there was a sense of an impending storm.
After the match, Mourinho called a mandatory meeting for everyone in the dressing room, singling out Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba for criticism.
He left absolutely no room for saving face.
Throughout his entire coaching career, he had never compromised his standards with any player, regardless of their reputation or price tag.
Ling initially thought the matter would blow over with a harsh warning, but then Mourinho directly announced that Lingard would be demoted to the youth team for half a month to "cool off."
Upon hearing this, Lingard's mood plummeted.
After all, he considered himself one of the team's key contributors, having played a role in helping Manchester United secure a double last season.
Even if he hadn't achieved the greatest individual feats, he felt he had certainly put in the hard work over the years.
He simply couldn't accept such a harsh public punishment.
"Boss, if that's the case, I might have to trans—"
Before Lingard could finish his threatening sentence, Ling sharply interrupted him.
"Jesse! Stop! Some things can be said, and some things cannot. Think very carefully before you speak!"
The two had come up together from the youth team to the first team, and recently, Lingard's family had been going through some personal issues.
So, maintaining a stable job at the club was crucial for him.
And once certain words like a transfer request were spoken to Mourinho, there would be no turning back.
Ling understood Mourinho's ruthless character better than anyone.
Lingard felt as if freezing water had been poured over his head; his reckless anger was instantly replaced by sobering calmness.
He looked down and said dejectedly, "Boss, I accept the punishment."
In truth, Lingard's form had declined significantly recently.
It was worth noting that he wasn't a player known for his innate, world-class talent. What had brought him this far was his sheer diligence and focus on the pitch.
But recently, he could no longer channel his energy entirely into football.
As for the reason? The massive profits from managing his personal social media platforms.
For instance, he had recently launched his personal clothing brand, "JLingz," and made attention-grabbing, controversial statements on public platforms.
To put it simply, it felt like he was trying to transition from a professional footballer to a full-time internet celebrity.
Mourinho glanced at Ling and sighed helplessly.
He knew his star player valued loyalty and friendship, which was why he had stepped up to stop Lingard from making a fatal mistake at such a tense moment.
After all, everyone in the room knew it would displease the head coach for a player to interrupt him.
Hadn't Rashford, Pogba, and others all tried to keep their distance and stay quiet?
If it had been the Mourinho from five years ago at Chelsea or Real Madrid, Lingard wouldn't have played another single minute this season.
In the end, Mourinho just waved his hand and said.
"That concludes today's meeting. Get out."
The Manchester United players quickly made their escape.
Lingard wanted to approach Ling to thank him, but Ling paid him no attention, walking straight past him.
'Did he really think I have won't be mad?' Ling thought, frustrated.
If it weren't for their years of camaraderie in the academy, he wouldn't have stuck his neck out today, no matter what.
After driving back to his apartment in the city, Ling wasn't troubled by the incident anymore.
Following his usual routine, he turned on the TV and watched a match replay of Atlético Madrid.
Although he often got carried away with passion while playing, he made every effort to avoid external distractions off the pitch.
This was the most basic professional discipline.
From that day onward, the Manchester United dressing room became much quieter.
Everyone trained with renewed, fearful determination, afraid of following in Lingard's footsteps to the reserves.
However, the atmosphere felt somewhat oppressive.
Fortunately, veterans like Valencia and Ashley Young stepped up to offer guidance, and since most players were reasonable, the team soon returned to its previous, harmonious atmosphere.
...
Time flew by, and it was now March 7th.
The Atlético Madrid players arrived early at Old Trafford for warm-ups.
As Ling emerged from the tunnel onto the pitch, he glanced around and noticed many familiar, rugged faces missing from the Spanish side.
Ah, right—they were suspended.
Not far away, Alvaro Morata watched Ling with eyes full of envy.
Honestly, he somewhat regretted not choosing to join Manchester United after leaving Real Madrid.
In fact, during the 2017 summer transfer window, Manchester United had indeed extended a serious olive branch to him.
After all, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was severely injured at the time, and United urgently needed a top-class striker.
It was just that negotiations between Real Madrid and Manchester United had broken down over the fee.
Later, Morata had explicitly expressed his willingness to join United.
After all, it was his childhood dream to play for the Red Devils.
Unfortunately, United's executive efficiency was too slow, and Chelsea swooped in at the last minute.
Otherwise, I could have won a few trophies too.
Playing alongside Ling would have been great, Morata glanced at Antoine Griezmann and muttered to himself.
A pity.
Who knows if he'll ever get another chance to play at the Theatre of Dreams in red.
...
Soon, Old Trafford buzzed with electric excitement.
The stands were filled with vibrant red, and a giant Tifo was unfurled in the Stretford End.
Ling waved to the fans as he jogged out, immediately drawing thunderous cheers.
While the players warmed up, the pre-match press conferences had already taken place, with Mourinho and Diego Simeone inevitably trading barbs.
Nothing new, though.
Simeone called Mourinho's tactics cowardly and outdated, Mourinho accused Simeone's team of playing dirty, anti-football.
Both, of course, insisted their side would secure victory tonight.
As for who actually felt more confident? Undoubtedly, Mourinho!
With a full, rested squad, playing at home, and facing an Atlético side missing three key physical players due to suspension, United should comfortably be able to defeat Atlético, right?
Of course, that last statement was a slight exaggeration of confidence.
But Mourinho had already devised targeted tactics, and today, they were definitely not playing for a draw.
Attack!
Because United had recently faced a series of minor setbacks—like conceding first to relegation-threatened teams and minor internal issues surfacing—overall morale had inevitably dipped.
They had to seize this massive European opportunity to crush their opponents and lift the spirits of both the players and the fans.
Half an hour later.
Players from both teams lined up on either side of the tunnel, each receiving a close-up from the broadcast cameras.
Emilia, holding Ling's hand as his mascot, chirped loudly, "Ling, I watched a cartoon recently called PJ Masks. The villains in it are just like Atlético."
The little girl even struck a heroic pose, hands on hips, glaring at the towering Atlético players across the tunnel!
"When night falls over the city, a team of heroes stands ready, fearlessly fighting crime!"
Hearing this, the Atlético players' faces instantly darkened, their eyes wide as they tried to intimidate little Emilia with glares.
"Don't take what a child says so seriously, lads," Ling quickly pulled Emilia behind his legs, meeting the furious gazes of the Atlético players without flinching.
Without waiting for a response, he turned back and winked exaggeratedly at the little girl, making Emilia cover her mouth with giggles.
"Enough! It hasn't been long since we got three yellow cards because of their cheap tricks. Have you all forgotten already?" Diego Godín scolded his teammates in a low voice.
Ling understood the Spanish but didn't care.
What did he mean by "cheap tricks"?
If Atlético could foul maliciously and provoke deliberately, but others doing the exact same thing to them was considered immoral—wasn't that just being hypocritical?
"Remember the pre-match arrangements, lads. Just stick to the plan," Ling reminded his teammates down the line.
Soon, the stirring Champions League anthem blared out, and players from both teams followed the referee onto the pitch.
Old Trafford instantly transformed into a roaring sea of red.
---------
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator